Rsyslog is an enhanced syslogd supporting, among others: MySQL, PostgreSQL, failoverlog destinations, syslog/tcp, fine grain output format control, high precision timestamps, queued operations, and the ability to filter on any message part.

Rsyslog is quite compatible to stock sysklogd and can be used as a drop-in replacement. Its advanced features make it suitable for enterprise-class, encryption protected syslog relay chains while at the same time being very easy to setup for the novice user. And as we know what enterprise users really need, there are also rsyslog professional services available directly from the source!

This documentation is for the latest version of rsyslog. Visit the rsyslog status page to obtain the current version information and project status.

Follow the links below for:

• troubleshooting rsyslog problems

• configuration file format (rsyslog.conf)

• a regular expression checker/generator tool for rsyslog

• property replacer, an important core component

• rsyslog bug list

• understanding rsyslog message parsers

• backgrounder on generic syslog application design

• description of rsyslog modules

• rsyslog packages

To keep current on rsyslog development, follow Rainer’s twitter feed.

We also have some in-depth papers on:

• installing rsyslog

• obtaining rsyslog from the source repository

• rsyslog and IPv6 (which is fully supported)

• native TLS encryption for syslog

• using multiple rule sets in rsyslog

• ssl-encrypting syslog with stunnel

• writing syslog messages to MySQL (and other databases as well)

• writing syslog messages to PostgreSQL (and other databases as well)

• writing massive amounts of syslog messages to a database

• reliable forwarding to a remote server

• using php-syslog-ng with rsyslog

• recording the syslog priority (severity and facility) to the log file

• preserving syslog sender over NAT (online only)

• an overview and howto of rsyslog gssapi support

• debug support in rsyslog

• Developer Documentation

  • building rsyslog from the source repository

  • writing rsyslog output plugins

  • the rsyslog message queue object (developer’s view)

Please note that the documentation here matches only the current version of rsyslog. If you use an older version, be sure to use the doc that came with it.

You can also browse the following online resources:

• rsyslog wiki, a community resource which includes rsyslog configuration examples

• rsyslog online documentation (most current version only)

• rsyslog discussion forum - use this for technical support

• rsyslog video tutorials

• rsyslog change log

• rsyslog FAQ

• syslog device configuration guide (off-site)

• rsyslog discussion forum - use this for technical support

• deutsches rsyslog forum (forum in German language)

If you would like to use rsyslog source code inside your open source project, you can do that without any restriction as long as your license is GPLv3 compatible. If your license is incompatible to GPLv3, you may even be still permitted to use rsyslog source code. However, then you need to look at the way rsyslog is licensed.